Dispensing apparatus



Dec. 22, 1959 A. G. KJELLSEN ET AL DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 28, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l 74 f It INVENTORS FIRVH: G- KusLLsr-m 6 ENRY L..- BLUST BY H Dec. 22, 1959 A. G. KJELLSEN ET AL 2,918,198

DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 28, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 II I @ &

BY HENRY l..- BLusT 7 d 44 DISPENSING APPARATUS Arvid G. Kjellsen, East Orange, and Henry L. Blust, Lyndhurst, N.J., assignors to Radio Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware Application February 28, 1956, Serial No. 568,276

'5 Claims. (Cl. 221--211) This invention relates to dispensing apparatus and relates in particular to apparatus for dispensing lengths of wire-like workpieces such as, for example, lead-in wires useful in electron tubes. Wire-like workpieces, due to their relatively small diameters, are especially prone to deformation during handling and make for difficulty in selecting one workpiece only from a reservoir of such workpieces. These problems are even more serious when, as required in the manufacture of electron tubes, such workpieces are to be fed successively and in a predetermined orientation into a delivery chute.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide improved apparatus for dispensing wire-like workpieces while preserving said workpieces from deformation.

It is another object of the invention to provide improved apparatus for successively dispensing workpieces at each of a succession of timed intervals from a reservoir of such workpieces.

It is still another object of the invention to provide improved apparatus for dispensing electron tube lead-in wires from a reservoir of such wires, in a predetermined orientation with respect to a delivery chute, while preserving the wires from deformation during such a handling.

The foregoing and related objects are achieved in apparatus for dispensing wire-like workpieces. The apparatus comprises a reservoir having walls adapted to hold wire-like workpieces in a substantially parallel array. The reservoir includes a member slidable across the reservoir for engaging one of the workpieces in the reservoir and transporting the engaged workpiece to a delivery position.

The invention is described in greater detail in connection with the accompanying two sheets of drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of dispensing apparatus according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken through line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken through line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a cut-away top plan view of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are top plan views of portions of dispensing apparatus embodying other forms of the invention.

Referring in greater detail to Fig. 1, there is shown one form of dispensing apparatus 10 in which the invention may be used. The apparatus 10 comprises a chamber or reservoir 12 adapted to hold wire-like workpieces, such as lead-in wires 14 for electron tubes, in a parallel array. The apparatus has a member 16 slidable across the reservoir for engaging the wire 14 in the reservoir and transporting the engaged wire to a delivery station, slot 20. The slidable member 16 serves as a portion of the walls defining the reservoir 12 and has a slot 18 (Figs. 1 and 4) of a size to snugly receive and engage one of the wires 14. Such engagement helps preserve 2,918,198 Patented Dec. 22, 1959 the engaged wire from deformation during movement of the member 16. Movement of the slidable member 16 in the direction indicated by letter A (Fig. 1) disposes its slot 18 adjacent to the delivery station slot 20 to permit the engaged wire to fall into the slot 20.

In the operating position of the apparatus the reservoir 12 (Figs. 1 to 4) is defined by four vertical walls and a bottom wall. As indicated above, the reservoir 12 is defined on one side by a wall 11 of the slidable member 16. Two of the other sides of the reservoir are defined by inwardly facing walls 19 of two parallel block-like portions 22 of the body of the apparatus 10. A fourth side wall of the reservoir is defined by a fiat surface 29 of a plate 24. The plate 24 is secured to a plunger 26 and is spring loaded, by a spring 28, so as to be urged against the wires 14 for holding the wires in a stacked parallel array, and for urging one of the wires into the slot 18. The fifth wall of the reservoir 12 is defined by the bottom 27 (Fig. 2).

As indicated above, the slidable member 16 performs the function of transporting wires 14 from the reservoir 12, one at a time, to the delivery slot 20. The movement of the slidable member 16 is controlled by an air cylinder 17 of which only a housing 19 and a plunger 21 is shown' When the air cylinder is actuated, pushing the plunger 21 in direction A, the slidable member 16 carries a workpiece from the reservoir 12 to the delivery slot 20. When the actuation of the air cylinder ceases a spring 23, connected between the slidable member 16 and a tab 25 to the housing 15 of the air cylinder 17, pulls the slidable member 16 in a direction opposite direction A. Since the workpiece pick-up slot 18 in the slidable member 16 traverses the transverse extent of the reservoir 12 two times each time the member is called upon to deliver a lead-in wire (once when the slidable member 16 moves in direction A and once when the slidable member moves in an opposite direction), the slot 18 is provided a relatively long travel in which to engage a wire in the slot. This long travel gives a greater assurance of a pick-up of a Wire by the slot 18 during every cycle of travel of the member 16.

In order to even farther insure the pick-up of a wire 14, by the slot 18, during every cycle of travel of the member 16, a difference in air pressure may be used to better enable the slot 18 to pick up a wire. As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the workpiece pick-up slot 18 of the slidable member 16 is connected to a relatively small passageway 30 which is in turn connected to a larger passageway 32. This larger passageway 32 is adapted to be disposed in registry with a pipe 34 connected to a vacuum source (not shown). When the slot 18 is adjacent to the reservoir 12, which is the case when the movable member 16 is moved so as to position the slot 18 adjacent to the delivery slot 20, the large passageway 32 in the member 16 is no longer in registry with the vauum source pipe 34. As the slot 18 approaches the delivery slot 20 the large passageway 32 is moved into registry with an outlet 36 to the atmosphere. When the passageway 32 is moved adjacent to the outlet 36, so that air from the outlet 36 will enter the passageway 32, the in-rushing air from the atmosphere provides a force which urges the wire 14 out of the slot 18 in the member 16 and into the delivery slot 20. Thus when the slot 18 is positioned adjacent to the delivery slot 20, the wire 14 within the slot 18 is moved into the delivery slot 20.

In order to still further insure that an engaged wire 14 (in the slot 18) will be moved into the delivery slot 20 when the two slots are brought into adjacency, the pipe 36 may be connected to a source (not shown) of air under a pressure above that of the atmosphere. In such a case the workpiece 14 engaged within the slot 18 is forcibly ejected from slot 18 when the slot is moved into adjacency with the delivery slot 20.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate two other forms of the invention. These figures each illustrate dispensing apparatus adapted to store a plurality of arrays of wire-like ,ele ments or workpieces, such as the electron tube lead-in wires aforementioned, and to dispense a predetermined number of the workpieces therefrom atsuccessivedime intervals. "The various portions of the apparatus of Fig. 5 will bedesignated by numerals similar to those used in describing the apparatus of Figs. 1 to 4, with the exception that the letter a will be affixed to the numeral. In a similar manner, the various portions of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 6 will be designated by numerals similar to those used in describing the apparatus of Figs. 1 to 4, but with the addition of the letter b.

The apparatus 10a of Fig. 5 comprises a predetermined number of reservoirs, say three reservoirs 12a. Each reservoir 12a is adapted to hold the wire-like workpieces or wires 14 in a parallel array. The apparatus includes a number of delivery stations in the forms of slots a, one slot 20a for each reservoir 12a. Each of the reservoirs 12a is defined on two opposite sides by a pair of spaced apart walls 19a in fixed relation with each other, the walls having substantially flat facing wall surfaces. Each of the reservoirs is defined on its third side by a spring loaded member in the form of a plunger 26a. The plunger 26a is adapted to move in a path of travel between the spaced apart walls 19a for urging an array of the wires 14 within the reservoir 12a in a direction toward a fourth side to be described. The plunger 26a is provided with a plate 24a having a substantially flat wall surface, the plate 24a being secured to an end of the plunger 26a. The plate 24a is spring loaded by spring 28a, so as to be urged against the wires 14 for holding the wires in astacked parallel array. The fourth side of each of the reservoirs l2ajis formed by a substantially fiat wall portion of a common slidable member 16a, the single slidable member 16a, as illustrated in Fig. 5 by a double headed arrow B, is slidable in a direction transverse to the direction in which the spring loaded plate 24a is urged. The slidable member 16a has a number of workpiece receiving slots 18a. Each of the slots 18a is of a size to snugly receive and engage only one of the wires 14. The member 16a is slidable to orient each of its slots 18a into workpiece receiving relation with its reservoir in one position of the slidable membenand to orient each of the slots into workpiece dispensing relation with one of the delivery station slots 20a in another position of the member. Thus, the single slidable member 16a is adapted to transport a plurality of workpieces, one workpiece for each reservoir, to a plurbality of delivery stations during each travel of the mem- Fig. 6 illustrates yet another form of .the invention. In this form the apparatus 10b of the invention comprises a number of reservoirs 12b oriented in a curvilinear array, and with each reservoir 12b adjacent to one delivery station 20b and having walls adapted to hold wire-like workpieces 14 in a substantially parallel array. The ap paratus 12b of Fig. 6 is similar in structure and operation to that of Fig. 5 but with the exception that the reservoir 12b, the delivery station slots 20b, and the common slidable member 16b are all curvilinearly oriented.

While the dispensing apparatus of Figs. 5 and 6 may each include vacuum means for each of its reservoirs in order to better enable the workpiece engaging slots to pick-up workpieces out of the reservoirs, such vacuum means is not illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 since one such means has been described in Figs. 1 to 4.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the invention provides improved apparatus for successively dispensing wire-like workpieces from one or more reservoirs only at predetermined tirneintervals-while preserv- 4 ing the workpieces from deformation during the dispensing operation.

What is claimed is:

1. A dispensing apparatus comprising a structure including a side wall and a bottom wall, said side wall having a vertical groove extending to said bottom wall, said bottom wall having a vertical passageway communicating with the lower end of said groove, an elongated member movable longitudinally on said bottom wall and having a side in sliding relation tosaid side wall, said side having an elongated vertical recess extending to the bottom of said member, means defining a reservoir, said means including said side and a movable flat member parallel to said side, means urging said fiat member towards said side whereby an elongated workpiece disposed vertically in said reservoir is urged against said side, means for moving said elongated member to first dispose said recess in lateral register withsaid reservoir, whereby said work piece is engaged byvsaid recess, and then in lateral register with said groove, and .means adaptedto translate said work piece fromsaid recess to said groove, said groovehaving a .larger transverse extent than said recess, wherebysaid work piece is freeto drop through said passageway in a dispensing operation.

2. A.dispensing apparatus, comprising avstructure having one group of parallel walls: defining an elongated slot,

and another, group of walls defining a slot extending trans versely of said elongated slotand communicating with an-endthereof, an elongated member snugly received in saidtransversely extending slot .for longitudinal movement therein, :said elongated member forming a wall normal-to said one group of walls, a plate extending acrosssaid elongated slot andengagingsaid one group of walls, said plate. beingmovable longitudinally of said slot 'for varying the size of a reservoir defined by. said plate, said, onegroup of walls andsa'id elongated member, meansconnected tosaidplate and urging the same towards said elongated:member, whereby workpieces in said reservoir are. urged towards said-member, said member having a groove in said wall thereof. extending transversely of said member, means for moving said member longitudinallyin one direction in said transverselyextending slot for disposing said groove in communication with said reservoir, whereby said groove is adapted to receive one of said work pieces, and means for moving said member in the opposite direction in said slot to a predetermined position, said structure having another groove parallelto saidfirst named groove, said another groove and first named groove being in lateral register when saidmember is in said position, said structure having an opening communicating with bothof said grooves when said member is in said position, whereby said one of said work pieces is adapted to be ejected through said opening.

3. .A dispensing apparatus comprising a structure having one group of flat parallel side walls and a bottom wall defining an elongated slot, and another group of flat side walls and a second bottom wall defining a second slot extending transversely of said elongated slot and communicating with an end thereof, one of said another group of side walls having a vertical groove therein, an elongated member movable'in said second slot, said member having a flat side forming an end wall for said elongated slot, saidside being in facing relation to said one of said another group of side walls, and having a vertically extending groove, one of said parallel side walls of said one group being disposed inparallel relation to said flat side of said member-and being movable toward said flat side, means urging saidone of said parallel side walls towards said fiat side, .means for movingvsaid member longitudinally in one direction to .cause said vertically extending groove to communicate with said elongated slot; whereby a workpiece in .said :last named slot is adapted to be received in said vertically: extending groove, means for:.rnoving:said;:member longitudinally in the opposite direction to cause said vertical groove to register laterally with said vertically extending groove, and means adapted to eject said workpiece from said vertically extending groove and into said vertical groove, said second bottom wall having an opening communicating with, and having a transverse extent substantially equal to the transverse extents of said grooves when in said lateral register, whereby said workpiece is adapted to be ejected through said opening.

4. A dispensing apparatus for transporting wire-like workpieces to a delivery station comprising a structure having spaced fiat vertical walls and a bottom wall joining the vertical walls, one of said vertical walls having a first vertical groove therein, said bottom wall having a first opening therethrough and vertically communicating with said first groove, an elongated member longitudinally movable on said bottom wall and between said vertical walls and having a flat side, said one of said vertical walls having a second opening, means defining a reservoir, said second opening communicating with said reservoir, said member having a second vertical groove across said fiat side, means for moving said member in one direction to dispose said second vertical groove in register with said second opening, said means defining said reservoir including a wall, means urging the last named wall toward said fiat side, whereby a workpiece is adapted to be received in said second groove, means for moving said member in the opposite direction to dispose said first and second grooves in laterally registering relation, said first groove having a larger cross-section than said second groove, said first opening having a transverse extent at least as large as that of said first groove, and means adapted to move said workpiece laterally from said second groove into said first groove, whereby said workpiece is ejected by gravity through said first opening.

5. A dispensing apparatus comprising a reservoir having two opposite walls, one of said walls being movable, means for moving said one of said walls in a direction normal to and towards the other of said walls for urging an elongated workpiece against said other of said Walls in a vertical orientation, said other of said walls being movable in a horizontal direction parallel to said one of said walls and having a vertical groove adapted to receive said workpiece in relatively snug fashion, a third and fixed wall in sliding relation to said other of said walls and having a vertical groove adapted to receive said workpiece in relatively loose fashion, means for moving said other of said walls to bring said grooves in lateral register, means adapted to eject a workpiece from the groove in said other of said walls to the groove in said third wall, and means communicating with the lower end of the last-named groove and adapted to receive and direct said workpiece to a delivery station.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 841,181 Redman Jan. 15, 1907 1,637,834 Oliver Aug. 2, 1927 1,788,288 Berkenvelder Jan. 6, 1931 2,455,809 Rifkin Dec. 7, 1948 2,571,579 Jones Oct. 16, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 11,064 Great Britain Aug. 31, 1911 

